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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

' B.F.STEP-HENS. APPARATUS POR'DIGGING WELLS.

Patented Apr. 3; 1883.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets -Sheet 2. B. F. STEPHENS.

v APPARATUSPOR DIGGING WELLS. No. 274,988. Patented Apr. 3,1883..

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica.

BENJAMIN F. STEPHENS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DlGGlNG WELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,988, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed October 9, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, BENJAMIN F. STEPHENS, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York,'have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Digging Wells, of which the following is a specification.

These improvements are especially adapted to digging wells ofa large size, and to any desired depth, regardless of water that may accumulate in the well, and the special features of novelty are hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section ofa well and the apparatus in use. Fig.

2 is a detached view in larger size of the cage, 'partially in section.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the cage. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the collarfor thehoist-rope. Fig. 5 shows the wrenchbar for revolving the central shaft. Fig. 6 is Fig. 7 is aplan of the circular bearing for the central shaft. Fig. 8 is asection of'the same at w m, Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 represents a portion of the lower part of the steining. w

I make use of curbs or steinings that are filled with bricks or stone to form the lining'of the well. These steinings sink as the well is excavated. I use a central shaft, that forms a guide for a cage to be raised and lowered, and also a means for revolving the cage. Uponvthis cage are buckets, that are used to excavate the sand, and the same are drawn up with the cage. By this means it is not nec essary to descend into the well, and the excavation is made uniformly at any desired depth, and below the water.

It is to be understood that this improve. ment is only available with sand, gravel, or.

comparatively soft material, and that if large stones or rocks are struck in excavating the well they must be removed in any of the well- I known modes, as my invention is available only in cases where the soil is sandy, or where the water renders soft the materials, so that it may be excavated by the buckets.

The curb or steining of the well is made in the usual manner, except that the bottom or lowest section of the steining is to be larger at the bottom than at the top, to facilitate the sinking of the steining as the excavation beneath it progresses. The lower section, A, is composed of the bottom ring, a, of timber, and

(No model.)

two or three rings above it, (marked 3),) and the exterior planking, 0. The inside is filled in tightly with brick or stone, laid up by preference in cement. There may be two or more sections, B, above the steining A, each made in the same manner, except that the upper sections have parallel sides.

In putting down this well the surface earth is excavated to a convenient depth, sufficient for receiving the lower part of the steining A. It is often advantageous in wells of large diameter that are to be sunk to a considerable depth to excavate the surface earth to the \vater-level, or nearly so, and then to place or construct the steiningA in the proper posithe platform the proper height to form a new tral guide for the excavating-axis of the well. This axiseis madeof square or polygonal bars, beveled at the ends, lapped and bolted together, as at 3, Fig. 6. At the lower end of this axis is a disk, e, for supporting the weight of the shaft and preventing its sinking too rapidly into the earth. If the earth is soft the disk c will be larger than it is for hard gravel, and if the earth or gravel is very hard the disk may be dispensed with. This axis is guided at the upper end by being passed through a hole in the cross-frame E; or there may be a revolving circular guide-p1atc,l ,witha hole in it for the passage of the central axis, a. The cage that is employed for excavating is to be drawn up and lowered down upon this axis 0, and by the same it is to be rotated, as hereinafter described.

The cage is composed of the arms], that are united at the center and provided with an opening, through which the axis-e passes, and with rollers hat each side of this axis, so that the parts are guidedand move with but little friction. The outer ends of the arms f are united by the ring or braces h and there is a head-piece, 7c, that is connected to the armsf by the tie and brace rods 1m. This head It has an opening through it for the passage of the axis 0, and it also has anti-friction rollers It at the sides of. the square axis. I remark that the parts through which the axis 6 passes are made of a size and shape to fit that axis, but to slide freely thereon, and there are notches that allow the cage to be moved up or down over the heads of the bolts which unite the sections of the axis 6 together. At the outer ends of the arms f there are rollers 9, that roll easily against the interior surface of the well should the parts come into contact in raising or lowering the cage.

In order to raise and lower the cage I make use of a chain or rope, 1), that passes from any suitable hoisting apparatus over a pulley on the frame. E down to a collar, 0, that surrounds the head-piece k, and is within a neck that is formed around such head-piece. This collar can be moved freely around the neck, so that the rope can be caused to draw up straight, by giving it a shake at the upper end and causing the collar to slip around in the neck. This is of importance, because the rotating of the cage, as hereinafter explained, tends to wind the hoisting rope or chain around the axis 0, and this collar allows the lower end of the rope to be moved around to unwind it from around the axis.

There are mortises through the armsfat suitable distances apart, and into these are inserted movable bolts adapted to the reception of buckets, forks, stirring-plows, 850., used in excavating at the bottom of the well. The knife or coltertis attached by the screw in one of these mortise-holes, the plow u in another mortise-hole, and the fork or scraping-fingers v in another mortise, and the buckets or pails 20, with handles 00 and attachingscrews 7, are applied at other of the mortiseholes. These parts are to be placed in the proper relative positions on the respective arms, so as to do the excavating in the most reliable manner. Usually there will be four buckets-two placed at the outer mortises of opposite arms and the other two buckets at the inner mortises of the intermediate armsthe colters or knives, plows, and forks being interspersed with reference to loosening the earth, sand, or other material at the bottom of the well, and then scraping it up by the buckets.

It is important that the buckets, as they fill with water, shall allturnin onedirection,sothat they may lie on the earth or sand with their months in the direction in which they are moved by the rotation of the cage. I accomplish this by fastening upon one side of each bucket a weight, which will tend to sink down this side first into the water, and hence the weighted side will always be downwardly and fill with water.

walking around upon the platform d d. This causes the earth to be loosened and scraped up into the buckets. The hoist rope or chain is then shaken to cause it to hang vertically, and the cage and buckets are drawn up, the flaps r1 opened to allow the same to pass, the flaps closed, the buckets emptied, the flaps opened, and the buckets again lowered into the well, and the operations repeated. The weight of the axis will cause it to descend and penetrate the earthy material as the excavation progresses, and the weight of the steiuing will cause the earthy materials to be displaced toward the middle of the well and within reach of the buckets. This will be easily done in cases where the sand or earth is soft and wet, and under all circumstances the excavation can be made at a sutticient depth below the steining, and. of a uniform depth, so that the earth will break away and fall into the excavation, and'the steining will descend vertically and uniformly. If there is any tendency to settle at one side of the steining more rapidly than the other, it may be prevented by a frame-work upon the surface of the earth provided with guide-rollers. Y

In excavating the well strata of clay are sometimes met with, and the bottom edge of the steining resting upon such clay excludes the water, and the excavation cannot be carried on to advantage, except when the water flows into the well and loosens up the material to be removed. To prevent this difficulty I slot the lower edge of the steining vertically, as seen at b, Fig. 1, and in the partial elevation, Fig. 9. These slots allow the water to flow into the well after the steining rests upon TOC a strata of clay or similar material, and if the well is dug deep the flowing water cuts channels in the clay as the steining descends, and besides this, the steining being-slightly conical, there is a space left around the steining as it descends. The axis is guided at the upper part of the frame by the circular bearingpiece 1 that has an opening through it of a shape to allow the axis to pass freely through it, and this bearing-piece is in a recess in the cross-piece of the frame, so that it can turn around freely with the axis; but the axis will slide vertically through this bearing-piece as the excavation progresses.

I am aware that a vertical shaft has been revolved by capstan-bars, and that upon this cross-bars carrying buckets have been proposed; but the same is not adapted to digging wells, because the cross-arms will bind upon the vertical shaft if the weight in thebuckets varies. In my improvement the braces to the cross-arms and the roller-guides above and below prevent the parts from binding.

I am also aware that earth-angers have been made with devices to hoist the auger upon the vertical axis.

I claim as my invention- .1. The combination of a polygonal shaft with a cage having roller-guides against the shaft,

arms extending out radially, braces to the same, a head-piece, swinging buckets connected with the arms, a collar around a neck at the upper part of the cage, and hoisting mechanism connected therewith, substantially as specified.

2. The combinatiom with a central vertical axis and a revolving cage formed of arms, a head-piece, and braces connecting the parts, of excavating-buckets having attaching-bolts and a weight on one side, for the purposes and as set forth.

.3. The cage having ahead, radial arms, and braces, in combination with the vertical axis and the guiding-rollers, the buckets, and the knives, plows, or forks connected to the arms of the cage, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a well-digging appa BENJ; F. STEPHENS.

Witnesses: v

' GEo. T. PrNoKNEY,

WILLIAM G. Mo'r'rh 

